Resurrection Sons

In Luke chapter 20, Jesus speaks of resurrection sons or sons of the resurrection. The discussion grows out of an encounter with the Sadducees who deny both spirits and the resurrection, (Acts 23:6) Here, they were denying the resurrection of the dead.

Their objection to the resurrection center around a hypothetical question they asked of the Lord. It was based on a well known Jewish law and practice involving the levirate law of marriage in Deueteronomy 25:8.

The law stated that if a man died having no children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up seed (a child) to her.

They proposed that mass confusion would result in the so-called resurrection as one woman married seven brothers, none of whom left her a child. They wanted to know, in the resurrection, whose husband would she be? To understand Christ we must understand the meaning of resurrection sons.

Resurrection Sons and Children of This Age

The children of this age causes no small amount of confusion in end times studies. The problem with understanding the resurrection of which Jesus speaks is the failure to perceive what is meant by this age. We have a more comprehensive study on this topic, This Present Evil Age" which will be of significant help in clarifying the meaning of "this age/age to come.

First, the law to which the Sadducees appealed was not universal in scope. It only applied to the Jews under the Mosaic covenant. Hence, "Moses said." Therefore, it is a gross error to apply this teaching generically and universally to all marriages. Neither Christ nor the Sadducees used or understood it in that light.

Secondly, this law also spoke only to those to whom it could be received. It did not address those families of those with fathers who had children. It address the families without children. This again limits it versus universalizes it.

Thirdly, the purpose of this law is rooted in the inheritance, a fact necessary to retain the tribal and land boundaries of each tribe of Israel. See Numbers 34 on the inheritance.

The only way these physical land boundaries could be maintained throughout Israel's generations was through procreation and marriage!

If the decendants died off with no posterity, they could effectively pass on the land to each succeeding generation as an inheritance. Thus, the eschatological nature of the discussion involves the inheritance.

Resurrection Sons in the Age to Come

This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, you (Israel, --see the plural) must be born again. However, not in the manner Nicodemus proposed, i.e. not by re-entering his mother's womb, but by being born again of water and of the Spirit, (John 3:3-5). (We shall have occasion to discuss this at length in another writing).

However, Israel's new birth constituted her as spirit, not as flesh. "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit, and that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again." This implication is clear that it means of the spirit. (See also Romans 8:8, 9).

Thus, the law of Moses, particularly the leverite law, has no relevance in the kingdom of God which is the realm of the Spirit. Biological procreation is totally unnecessary to produce sons of God.

Rather, they are produced through faith in Christ by being baptized into him.

For you are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, (Galatians 3:27). Follow this verse to the end of the chapter and you will see that those who are Christ's are the seed of Abraham and heirs of the promise which by the way was the promise of an eternal inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled and fades not away. (1 Peter 1:4).

Hence, they were born again of incorruptible seed, (1 Peter 1:23) and therefore do not die, (John 8:51). This can only be true in the realm of the spirit, not in that of the natural biology. Therefore, no marrying and giving in marriage is necessary for both the sons and the inheritance are eternal.

(See Part 2 of Resurrection Sons, --to be added later.) For part two of "Resurrection Sons" other studies on resurrection see below.